


New Opportunities

by hunter139



Series: hunter 139's multiverse of stories [7]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse, Not my greatest work, Romance, Side Story, Violence, Wally West is Alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23145754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunter139/pseuds/hunter139
Summary: Commander Shepard gains some new temporary allies aboard the Normandy. A side story to Omega Chronicles. Contains Spitfire fluff.
Relationships: Artemis Crock/Wally West
Series: hunter 139's multiverse of stories [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467655
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Palo Alto

It was early morning, just before the sun came up. Artemis was the first one to wake up, with her head on his chest and his heartbeat in her ear. Giving off a contented sigh, she moved her hand over his, smiling as her fingers brushed the wedding ring on his finger.

She looked up at Wally's face, utterly content with a small smile in his sleep. He just looked so adorable. Even after all these years, her love for him hadn't diminished in the slightest, and vice versa.

It was hard to believe that only a couple years ago, she had thought he was gone forever; having sacrificed his life to save the world from the Reach's doomsday devices. Only a few months after was it discovered that he had actually been trapped in a pocket dimension and freed, thanks to the help of their allies.

Less than a year after he came back, they got married, figuring that they had both waited long enough. Then after they had both graduated from college, they had both gotten jobs with the League's new allies, working together on one of the most stunning pieces of engineering they had ever seen.

Recently, they had been offered extra payment to take a business trip beyond their normal working environment for a few weeks. They still hadn't decided on what they should do, but they had to figure it out soon.

At the moment though, Artemis didn't want to think about that. She was content, tracing imaginary patterns on his chest with her fingers. It was at that moment that Wally stirred, prompting Artemis to lean up and gently kiss him.

"Mm, good morning Babe." Wally sleepily murmered. His arm idly moved around her hip, his hand caressing the small of her back. He pulled her in for another kiss, before breaking off, finally opening his green eyes with a smile.

"You're in a good mood this morning." She commented.

"Is there a reason not to be?" He asked cheekily. "It's our day off and I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms." She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Romeo." She snarked, though inwardly, she was pleased with that comment.

They just stayed there, lying in bed, their hands wrapped around each other, simply enjoying the feeling and presence of each other. The sun rose from behind the curtains, warming the room and making the two of them even more comfortable.

Artemis felt that they could stay there forever, just content in each other's arms. But inevitably, the peace of the moment was shattered by a very familiar sound to the couple: Wally's stomach growling. He groaned, his head falling back on the pillow. Artemis couldn't help but laugh.

"Hungry?"

"Yep."

"Alright." Artemis softly kissed him again and then got out of bed. "Let's shower first, then we'll fix up some food."

"I don't know, babe." Wally sat up. "I really think I should eat first."

"Suit yourself." Artemis paused in front of the bathroom door and pulled off Wally's old shirt, reminding him that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. With her back to him, she slyly looked at him over her shoulder. "You'll be missing out."

Wally felt his arousal grow as his wife disappeared into the bathroom. Sparing a brief glance to the kitchen, then back to the bathroom, he simply muttered, "It can wait." and with a grin, followed her into the shower.

* * *

Half an hour later, the two of them were dressed and relaxing on the couch, with Wally scarfing down food and feeding scraps to Brucely. Artemis smirked and sat at his side, putting her head on his shoulder.

She could've stayed like that forever. Unfortunately though, her thoughts kept wandering to the recent offer they had gotten. Personally, she wouldn't mind the trip, but she wasn't so sure Wally would want to. Shaking those thoughts out of her head, she decided to convince him some other time. Which made it all the more surprising when he brought it up right now.

"Hey babe." Wally looked at Artemis. "You know that offer we got a few days ago?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm thinking we should accept it." That surprised Artemis, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Really?"

"I mean, if you don't want to-"

"No, no, I'd like to." Artemis quickly replied. "I just didn't think you'd want to."

"Why not?"

"I don't know..." She stuttered. "I just thought- after what happened, you'd want to stay a little bit closer to home."

"You know, I'm not sure that where we work now is actually very close to home."

"Good point." Artemis laughed. "So, you really want to go for it?"

"Why not?" He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. "We won't be gone for too long."

"Well, we'll still need someone to take care of Brucely." Artemis pointed out. "Seeing as we'll be gone for two to three weeks."

"We can get Dick to do it." Wally replied. "He still owes us a favor."

"Fair enough. I suppose we have a few calls to make."

"Not right now, babe." Wally protested. "I'd rather enjoy our day off." Artemis smiled.

"You're the one who brought it up!"

"Doesn't mean I want to do it right this minute." Wally pouted. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright. We'll do that tomorrow." She snuggled closer to him. "Then let's just enjoy the moment."

* * *

"So you know what to do?" Wally asked.

"Yes..." Dick said in exasperation. "I've done this before you know."

"Yeah, and you remember what happened last time?"

"It was the heat of the moment!" Nightwing exclaimed. "It won't happen again."

"It better not. It took a week for us to get everything clean again."

"Alright, alright." The former Boy Wonder sighed. "So... I'll make sure Brucely's ok while you're gone."

"Great, thanks." There was the sound of a clearing throat that emerged from their bedroom. "Sorry, I gotta go and help Artemis pack."

"Ok, I'll let you go. Oh and Barb says hi."

"Alright, take care." And with that, Wally ended the call and walked back to their room.

"How'd it go?"

"Well Dick knows that we don't want a repeat of what he did during our honeymoon."

"Good." Artemis folded up one of her shirts and put in the suitcase. "Because if we have a repeat of that, I'm going to kill him."

"You and me both babe." Wally started packing his own clothes as well, in a fraction of the time it was taking Artemis. Eventually, he was at the final piece of clothing.

"Do you really think we'll need these?" Wally asked, holding up his Kid Flash uniform. "I know he said to bring them along, but still..."

"Well, hopefully not." Artemis started packing her own costume along with her bow and quiver. "But it's always better to have it and not need it."

"I guess." Wally sighed, just as Artemis finished packing. Sitting down on the bed, Artemis sat with him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, it's just..." He sighed again. "I just thought we'd be done with the superhero life after what happened at the North Pole."

Artemis winced at the memory, but then wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace, which he returned. "I know it's not what we had planned." She whispered. "But we can't fight who we are. And at least now we're getting into less danger."

"Ironically." Wally couldn't help but smile. "What would I ever do without you?"

"Here's hoping you never have to find out." Artemis replied huskily.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, then Artemis pulled back and captured his lips with hers, hungrily kissing him. The two of them fell back onto the bed, making out before Artemis broke off and straddled his waist.

"Mm, babe." Wally murmered as she started to kiss his neck. "Not that I'm not enjoying every second of this, but don't we have to leave soon?"

Artemis kissed him again, then briefly looked at the clock. They still had an hour before they needed to leave. "We have time."

Wally grinned in response, then pulled her closer and kissed her once more.


	2. Chapter 2

The Watchtower

"You know, you guys don't have to see us off." Wally said, as Connor, M'gann, Kaldur and Dick joined him and Artemis as they made their way through the station. "We've done this a million times."

"We just want to make sure you guys don't get into any trouble." Dick replied, causing the Wests to roll their eyes. If anyone was a troublemaker in this room, it was him.

"You just want to see the Ark again, don't you?" Artemis guessed, causing the rest to look a little sheepish. Not that she could blame them; their workplace was a spectacular sight.

"It is an amazing construct." Kaldur admitted. "I've only ever seen such unique craftsmanship in Atlantis."

"No kidding." M'gann agreed. "Even the greatest architecture on Mars feels tiny in comparison. Not to mention that it's the size of Jupiter!"

Everyone looked at Connor who simply shrugged and said: "I'm just here to make sure Wally's food gets there intact." Everyone chuckled at that.

"Plus, I want to meet your chaperone." Dick said. "I've heard enough about this guy to know he's rather important."

The six of the original team approached the portal that had been installed aboard the Watchtower by the Republic. It had been an important gesture of trust on both sides, and it cemented the partnership between the multiversal superpower and the Justice League.

"Well, if what they say is true." Artemis said as they walked through the portal. "We're in safe hands."

All conversation died as the six of them exited the portal, which led to a viewport overlooking the Ark. The vast flower shaped Forerunner construct never failed to take their breath away. And that was only the beginning: Hovering above the surface of the Ark was the large Halo ring, surrounded by thousands of Republic ships. Far beyond those constructs was the Milky Way galaxy.

'Never gets old, does it?' Wally thought, everyone else immediately picking it up through M'gann's psychic link (who had also shapeshifted into her human form in order to be more inconspicious).

'It's so beautiful.' M'gann replied.

'Breathtaking.' Was Kaldur's.

'Amazing.' Connor finished.

"Hey!" The Team turned towards the origin of the shout, which was a pair of guards at the end of the room. "We need to scan your IDs."

'Well, we better get going.' Artemis thought.

'Agreed. Wally's food isn't going to pick itself up.' Dick replied.

* * *

In orbit of Installation 00 (aka the Ark)

The SSV Normandy SR-2 flew through the traffic over the Forerunner construct, on a docking course for the 100 km long ship hovering near the Halo megastructure in orbit. As Joker skillfully maneuvered through the crowded space, Commander John Shepard couldn't help but marvel once more at the sheer scale of the station.

For the longest time, Shepard had thought of the Citadel as being the largest space station ever. Then he saw those built by other universes and realized how small he'd been thinking. How small their entire galaxy had been thinking.

The Ark was a massive flower-shaped construct, easily ten times the size of any Earth. And the Republic had only made it more impressive. In orbit over the Forerunner construct, the frame of a Halo ring sat, the Republic using that primarily as a shipyard and repair dock.

His mind was brought back from his musings as Joker announced that they had reached their destination. With EDI talking with the Republic controllers and AIs, Shepard moved down to the hanger bay, with the doors opening as he arrived.

Shepard stood on the boarding ramp of the Normandy _,_ which was currently docked in Docking Bay C11 of the Republic mega-dreadnought _Guardian._ Looking around, Shepard thought back to how he came to be here.

The Commander had been intrigued by stories about the Republic when he first learned of their actions, and when they approached him and offered to upgrade the Normandy with their tech, he had leapt at the opportunity.

One of the first things they had done was upgrade the stealth systems with an actual cloaking device, so now the Normandy could truly disappear. They had also augmented the vessel with an interdimensional drive, meaning the ship no longer required a mass relay to travel, plus the engine overhauls had made it one of the fastest ships in the multiverse. Thanks to Republic dimensional tech, the Normandy's interior was much bigger than the exterior would have permitted, allowing extra space and a new deck in the floorplan. In addition to the stealth Kodiak, the hanger now held a larger and more heavily armed Republic dropship (which was equipped with a cloaking device of its own). And thanks to the revamp of the offensive systems, the Normandy now performed even better than it ever had before, and was capable of going toe to toe with ten Reaper capital ships at once and winning.

Despite that, Shepard was no fool; he knew the Republic would never give full access to their best military hardware, in case the Council would try to take control of the Normandy's tech and learn its secrets: Hardware locks had been installed on every upgrade, which would cause them to self-destruct if they were taken apart. Furthermore, the hardware they had been given was not the most cutting-edge equipment (it wasn't quite second-hand, but it wasn't state of the art either). And even though the Normandy was upgraded to the point that it was essentially a super-dreadnought by Council classification, it still would be curbstomped by a Republic recon corvette.

In a way, the Spectre understood their caution, and he was still amazed at how much they had helped his crew. Liara's work as the Shadow Broker had been greatly enhanced by Republic support. Also, due to the stigma the Quarians and Geth still suffered to this day, the Republic offered their assistance in many matters, both scientifically and socially. And Joker had been cured of his Vrolik Syndrome.

He shook himself out of his musings as he pondered the task in hand: Republic Command had requested that he escort a pair of civilians to a number of scientific research sites around Citadel Space.

Given that the Normandy had been upgraded with Republic tech (and that Shepard and crew could also be considered as diplomatic liasons for the Republic), the Spectre had agreed to that request, though he had voiced his concerns about possibly babysitting civilians in a combat zone.

However, he had been assured that his guests were more than combat capable, silencing any other objections he had. The only other curious detail about this assignment was that a rather large surplus of food was also being shipped to the Normandy, which was already fully stocked for the two weeks he would have this mission.

Shepard had raised this issue, but the only reply he had gotten was that it was for his guests. Baffled, the Commander had relented, though he was still convinced that the extra supplies would have to be thrown out after going bad; not even Grunt and Wrex combined could eat that much!

And now he was waiting for his charges to arrive. Soon he saw a group of people descend from a nearby elevator, and they made their way towards the Normandy. Shepard raised his eyebrows in slight surprise; he was told he was expecting two people, not six.

What was more surprising was that one of them was carrying the large crate containing the extra supplies with one arm, and even more amazing, he didn't even seem to be having any difficulty doing so.

James Vega, Ashley Williams and Garrus Vakarian joined Shepard down in the Normandy's docking bay just as the small group reached them, allowing the Normandy crew to get a good look at their new arrivals, and they were honestly surprised by their age as most of them looked to be in their early 20s.

The two guests Shepard was supposed to pick up were there; a young man with red hair and green eyes, and a young woman with blonde hair and grey eyes. But the new arrivals included a young raven haired man in his early twenties wearing sunglasses (who was quite handsome, considering Ashley was trying hard not to stare at him for too long), a dark-skinned young man with webbed hands (which drew Shepard's attention for a moment) wearing a turtleneck sweater, a young red haired teenage girl with almost glowing green eyes and short cropped red hair, and the blue eyed, black haired teenager who had been lifting a massive crate over his shoulder as if it was as light as a feather.

"Are you Commander Shepard?" The blonde woman asked as the group of young adult humans made their way up the ramp.

"I am." The Spectre said, "And I'm assuming you're Artemis West?" She nodded, before Shepard turned to the redhead beside her.

"And I'm guessing you're Wally West?" The redhead boy nodded, before shaking the Spectre's hand.

"It's an honor to meet you Commander. We've heard incredible things about you." Wally said.

"Glad to hear it. Though I was told you two would be the only passengers we would be taking."

"Oh, we're just here to see them off." The sunglasses guy responded (who Shepard mentally named 'Shades'), "Oh, and to make sure Wally has enough food to last two weeks." He finished, gesturing to the crate laden teenager, who dropped the supplies on the deck, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Garrus and Vega couldn't help but stare at the teen, who didn't even look remotely exhausted from carrying such a heavy load. They were even more surprised when they tried to lift the heavy load, only to struggle against the weight. Meanwhile Shepard was rather shocked that all the food he had been asked to bring with him was for one man.

But what was even more curious was that the teens almost seemed to be having a mental conversation. Shepard knew it was possible to convey meanings and conversations with looks and body language, but this went beyond that; it was almost like they were having a discussion inside their heads. Wally nudged his wife for no apparent reason and she rolled her eyes, while the boy with shades seemed to be stifling laughter. At that moment, the voice of Jeff "Joker" Moreau came over the intercom.

"Uh, Commander, we gotta get underway soon. The Council's requesting that we return to Citadel space ASAP."

"Understood Joker." At that moment, the six new arrivals tensed up at Joker's name; Artemis and 'Shades' looked especially shocked and more than a little angry.

"Joker?" 'Shades' carefully asked, as if saying the name was physically disgusting to him.

"The Normandy's pilot." Shepard responded, and the group relaxed, though he could tell that name struck a chord with them... and it wasn't a pleasant one. It was something he would ask about later.

"And unfortunately, we need to leave immediately."

"Alright, we'll leave you guys to it." 'Shades' said, turning to Wally and Artemis. "We'll take care of things back home."

"You've got the list?" Artemis asked.

"I do. Don't worry, I'll make sure Brucely gets walked and fed."

"Cool, thanks Nightwing." Wally said.

After saying their goodbyes and after the other four had left, EDI took it upon herself to show the couple to their living accomodations in the Port Cargo Hold. Wally and Artemis quickly made themselves comfortable while Shepard and co returned to their stations.

When Shepard got in the elevator, it stalled for a moment, all the power systems shutting down. The Spectre frowned; he'd served on this vessel for years and something like this had never happened before. With the addition of Republic technology, it would've been even less plausible to happen. There was only one explanation.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?" The voice of the AI emerged from his omni-tool.

"Why did you shut down the elevator?"

"My apologies Commander, but I may have found something interesting about our guests."

"What do you mean?" The Spectre asked, before a thought occured to him. "You didn't access the Republic databases, did you?"

"No Commander." EDI replied, to Shepard's relief. "Their cyber security is too advanced for me. However, I was able to listen to the conversations around us as their friends left."

"And?"

"According to them, those individuals are extremely powerful and dangerous." EDI said. "In fact, it was claimed that they always reported directly to the Republic's Supreme Commander and his inner circle."

"The Supreme Commander?" Shepard couldn't contain his surprise.

The Republic's leader was arguably the most powerful and dangerous individual in the multiverse, no matter how much the leaders of the IDA would like to believe otherwise. Considering people like Samus Aran and Grand Admiral Thrawn always worked directly with him, anyone who regularily reported to him or worked directly under his orders had to be either powerful, intelligent or both. It was rather odd for someone like that to be placed onboard his ship for something as routine as this mission.

"You haven't mentioned this to anyone else, have you?"

"No, Shepard. I thought that the decision should be yours." EDI explained.

"Keep it quiet for now." Shepard ordered. "I'll figure out who our guests are when we have the time."

"Understood Commander." With her acknowledgement, the elevator started back up towards the CIC.

As soon as he reached the CIC, the Spectre gave the order to depart from the _Guardian_ and set a course back to Citadel space all while a nagging thought entered the back of his mind: 'Just what have I gotten myself into?'

* * *

As soon as the robotic body of the ship's AI had left, Wally and Artemis were free to look over their living accomodations for the next couple of weeks. There had a been a single double bed moved in here for the two of them. Other than that though, this was not a fantastic looking room.

The floors of the room were bare metal just like the rest of the ship, and the walls were a dull grey. Their room was also home to a trash compactor, and a bunch of security monitors. All in all, it was definitely not going to win any awards.

"Well this definitely isn't a five star resort." Wally muttered, dropping his bags on the floor.

"We've stayed in worse places." Artemis pointed out as she started to unpack. "And we knew that this wasn't going to be a vacation."

"Good point." The redhead started unpacking as well, setting up the room to be a little nicer. "Still though, I wish we didn't have to sleep in the same room as a trash compactor."

"You'll be fine." Artemis replied, then yawned.

"Tired, babe?"

"Yeah. It's been a long day." Artemis groaned. Suddenly, Wally was by her side in an instant.

"Too tired even for this?" Her breath hitched as he rubbed his hand on her hip, causing her to moan and shaking off the drowsiness immediately.

"Well, when you put it like that..." She pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his.

They both felt like they had too many clothes on, and Artemis was quick to rectify that, pulling his shirt off as fast as she could, then pushed him back towards the bed. Stopping to quickly pull her own shirt off, she captured his lips once more, wrapping her legs around her waist and her arms around his neck as they both fell backwards into the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

_She was back here again, on board the Bioship as it headed to its destination. On some level, Artemis was aware that this was only a dream. A terrible memory that had been burned into her subconscious. But it didn't stop the dream. This had been the day her world had ended, even if had only been for a few months._

_They were at the North Pole. The Reach had planted their 21st Magnetic Field Disrupter and the energy had already chrysalized. Barry, Bart and Wally had to run around the energy and disperse it using their own kinetic energy. But Wally was too slow, and the energy was dispersed and struck him. Barry and Bart attempted to slow down and take some of the energy themselves, but it was too late. Wally faded away into the ether._

"Artemis?"

_When the remaining speedsters had stopped, her heart had frozen when she saw Wally was gone. She ran to them, ignoring the frigid air as she desperately begged Barry and Bart to tell her what happened, to tell her that Wally was okay. Her hope died at Barry's words._

_"He loved you."_

"Artemis."

_She fell to her knees, numb to everything around her. Her heart shattered and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't bother trying to hold them in, not caring about the cold, not caring that M'gann and the rest of the team had gathered to comfort her._

_Wally was gone._

"Artemis!"

* * *

She woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily with Wally lying right beside her with his arms wrapped around her. Her eyes were slightly wet and her pillow a little damp: she had been crying in her sleep.

Holding back a sob, Artemis buried her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him close to her, inhaling his familiar scent. She needed to know that he was here, that he was alive, and that the last several years hadn't been some cruel dream. Eventually she pulled back and leaned her forehead against his, staring into his soft green eyes.

"It was the nightmare again?" He asked.

She nodded, too afraid to speak. Smiling slightly, he put his hand on her cheek and pulled her closer, meeting her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled against his mouth, reveling in the feeling, running one of her hands through his red hair. After a long moment, they broke apart, Wally with the goofy grin on his face that she loved so much.

"I won't leave you again, Artemis." He said, his expression hardened slightly but his gaze became soft and reassuring. "I promise you."

She smiled softly and put her hand on his cheek, gently caressing as she smiled softly. "Sorry for waking you." She whispered.

"I was already waking up." He shrugged. "I'm still not used to spaceship time."

"I know the feeling." She said, as she pulled him closer to her. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "I love you, Wally."

He pulled her closer and softly kissed her. "I love you too, Artemis."

She smiled, and the two of them just lay there in each others arms, content as they were. That could only last for so long though, and Artemis smirked as she knew what she wanted next.

"You know, I'm still not fully awake." She rolled them both over until she was on top. "Do you know any way to fix that?"

The blanket fell away and Wally gave a smirk of his own, pulling her down for another kiss. "I might have some ideas, Babe." He said, tangling his fingers in her hair as his other hand ran down her hip. Smiling, they kissed again.

* * *

An hour later, the two ex-superheroes were dressed and wandering the halls. Unsurprisingly, Wally's first destination was the mess hall, where he started grabbing the food from his own marked fridge. Artemis rolled her eyes at her husband's hunger, not remotely surprised given their previous activities, and the speedster's hyperactive metabolism in general.

She thought back to how how they had first come into contact with the Republic, and the Justice League's resulting alliance as a result. It was originally filled with mistrust on both sides, but once the Republic had promised to aid them against the Separatists (who were supporting the Light), relationships between the groups had improved considerably.

It helped the Republic's case when they didn't question the no-killing rule the superheroes of the world operated on. Even when working alongside Republic military forces, they were never asked to kill anyone, and the Republic troops even went out of their way to take their enemies alive as much as possible whenever members of the League or the Team were around.

Nightwing and Batman had initially been vehemently against revealing the League and the Team's secret identities to the Republic, but when it was revealed that the Supreme Commander already knew, they calmed down somewhat (though they still refused to give their real names to the other Republic forces).

It was for this reason that Nightwing had originally recommended fake names for the duo, but it seemed pointless considering A) if half the stuff about Shepard was true, then he would know they were lying and B) how would this universe gain an advantage from knowing their identity if they couldn't get to Earth-16? They still kept it secret from criminals and hid their true nature, but there was little danger in revealing who they were to the trustworthy people in the Republic.

All the same, the couple was grateful to the Republic; both for being instrumental in bringing Wally back and allowing Artemis's mother, Paula Crock access to their medical technology, therefore allowing her to walk again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Shepard, who walked into the galley looking for some food himself. "You two are up early." He commented, grabbing some ingredients and mixing them together.

"We're not really used to day/night cycles in space." Artemis explained.

"Yeah, it can take some getting used to." The Spectre nodded in understanding. "So, how are you two settling in?"

"We've stayed in worse places." Wally paused from his eating to answer. "And it's more luxurious than you would expect a military vessel to be."

"Glad to hear it." Shepard said.

Before any more conversation could be exchanged, a voice broke over the intercom.

"Shepard, we will be docking with the Citadel in an hour. The Council is most adamant that you speak with them as soon as you arrive."

Shepard sighed. "Understood, thanks EDI." He turned towards the two of them. "I'm assuming you've never been to the Citadel?" The two heroes shook their heads. "Well it's not as impressive as the Ark, but if you guys would like to see it, you could meet up with Joker and I in half an hour."

The two of them twitched imperceptively at the name Joker, but Wally put on a smile to cover it. "Sure, we'll see you there."

* * *

Wally and Artemis met up with Shepard on the bridge of the Normandy, as the stealth frigate flew towards the Citadel. They were just behind Joker and EDI, watching as the two expertly brought the ship towards the Reaper construct.

It was hard for the two of them to be impressed by the scale of the Citadel when they constantly worked onboard the Ark. Still, just because the station was much smaller than the Forerunner constuct, it didn't necessarily make it less impressive. That said, it was thoroughly underwhelming, as even the Warworld from their own universe was considerably larger than this space station.

As the Normandy docked, Shepard led the shore party towards the airlock, bringing the rest of his Team and the two guests in tow. Once they were outside the vessel, Shepard turned to address them all.

"Alright, we have two hours before we're due to leave, so grab anything you think we'll need. We may be away from the Citadel for some time."

"Where are you going?" Ashley asked.

"I gotta go talk to the Council." Shepard explained. "Whatever they want me to do, I know they also want to debrief me on what we saw in Republic territory."

"So the usual?" Garrus surmised.

"The usual." Shepard agreed, before turning to his guests. "So, do you two need an escort on the Citadel, or-?"

"I think we'll be fine, Commander." Artemis interjected. "We won't cause a diplomatic incident." She elbowed her husband in the stomach. "Will we, babe?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Wally protested. "That's Nightwing's job."

"I'll take your word for it." Shepard recognized the joking tone in both of their voices and relaxed slightly. "I really would rather not have to deal with the Council anymore than I have to."

The rest of the crew winced in sympathy, knowing just how frustrating the leaders of the Citadel could be. Wally and Artemis just looked at each other, having heard rumors about how obstructive and irritating the Council could be.

While superheroes were no stranger to obstructive and annoying politicians, problems caused by them were mainly the result of the machinations of people like Lex Luthor or sometimes even mind control from other supervillains. Here it was mainly due to the Council's own ignorance and arrogance. Frankly, they couldn't tell which reason was worse.

"Commander Shepard?"

The Spectre turned to see C-Sec Commander Bailey walking over. The younger man smiled and shook the peace officer's hand. "Good to see you Bailey."

"Likewise, though I wish it wasn't through all this political crap." Bailey sighed. "The Council really wants to see you right away." He then spotted Wally and Artemis standing in the background.

"We'll also need to get your two guests registered into the system." The two of them tensed, and Bailey smiled slyly as he turned back to the Commander. "Unless..."

"It's not necessary. They're with me." The Spectre said.

"Gotta love Spectre privileges." Bailey chuckled, as they walked away. "Don't get in any trouble."

As soon as the Spectre gave his permission, the rest of his team started scattering. However, as Garrus walked away, he realized that he hadn't seen the West couple leave. Turning around to make sure he hadn't missed anything, the Turian was surprised to find that they had vanished into thin air.

Shrugging off that incident, and knowing that there were others who could do something like that, Garrus made his way towards the Spectre offices, figuring that he would see the two guests soon enough.

* * *

"Councilors, we've gone through this same routine several times now." Shepard sighed. "The Republic is not composed of fools. They're going to notice if we tried to commit any sort of espionage."

"We need to be fully aware of what they are capable of." Valern said. "Events with the Flood and Separatists may have drawn their attention, but the Citadel needs to catch up if we are to achieve any sort of parity."

"Which risks alienating them." Shepard countered. "They're the only thing that's keeping the Flood and Separatists at bay."

"We could still learn a lot about their technology from what they've done to the Normandy." Sparatus added. "If we could study some of their systems..."

"Councilor, the technology we've been given has hardware locks installed by the Republic." The Spectre explained. "Attempting to take it apart will cause it to self destruct."

"Curious. Despite their claims, the Republic doesn't truly trust ousiders."

Shepard found that rather hypocritical coming from the Salarian councilor, who was technically (alongside Sparatus and Tevos) responsible for the beginning of the Great Flood War. Still, he kept his peace, so he wouldn't say something that he'd regret.

"Moving on from espionage." Tevos interjected before Valern could press the issue. "What of their culture? Their people?"

"Their military." Tevos glared at Sparatus, but the Turian didn't back down. "Our people believe that the Republic are run by a power mad dictatorship. We need to be aware of the truth behind that."

"He's definitely not power mad." Shepard replied. "I know that much."

"Really? Have you seen every level of the government?" Valern said. "Do you know how their populace feels about him?"

"Perhaps we can ask someone closer to them." Councilor Osoba interrupted. "Our records show that you brought two individuals in from Republic space. Perhaps we could ask them?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Shepard said. "I don't think they'll take too kindly to being interrogated."

"It's starting to sound like you identify more with the Republic than the Citadel." Valern said.

Shepard was about to retort when support came from an unlikely source.

"Shepard is one of our best operatives." Sparatus stated. "His loyalty is not in question, is it Commander?"

"I've always been loyal to the people of the Alliance. To the people of the Citadel." Shepard stated proudly and with more than a little hint of underlying anger.

It was hard not to feel insulted by the accusation. He had served the Alliance and the Council faithfully over the years, even in spite of all the mudslinging he had gotten during the years prior to the Reaper war. Even when he was brought back by Cerberus and all of his hard work had been denounced by the Alliance, his loyalty never wavered. But he also believed every species and organization deserved to have their own autonomy and freedom. It was why he fought so hard to cure the genophage, why he had fought so hard to end the Quarian-Geth conflict on peaceful terms.

And it was for similar reasons that he was an outspoken supporter of the Republic, even before they offered him some of their technology. People from all over the multiverse wanted a change in government, and the Republic accepted with open arms. Unlike the Council, who always seemed to believe war was inevitable even when hoping for peace, Shepard knew that staying on the Republic's good side was the best option for their galaxy and the multiverse as a whole.

"We meant no offense, Commander." Tevos pulled him from his thoughts.

"Perhaps we should discuss your latest mission for the Republic instead." Valern suggested.

Shepard suppressed a groan. This was going to be a long meeting.

...

One hour later.

Leaving the Council chambers, Shepard sighed, running his hand through his hair. As always, talking to his actual bosses gave him a headache. Even after the Reaper conflict and the Great Flood war, they still hadn't learned much. At the very least, they gave his warnings considerably more weight now, but considering they had been responsible for allowing the Flood to spread and beginning the worst conflict in the history of the multiverse, it was rather amazing that they still had their jobs.

"Commander."

Shepard turned at the voice, smiling as he saw a familiar figure approaching him. A unique being within this galaxy, with an irregular-shaped head, four eyes, and distinctive red armor.

"Javik." Shepard shook the Prothean's hand. "It's good to see you. How's retirement treating you?"

"It can get very dull. In fact, that's why I came to see you. If you would permit me, Commander, I would like to rejoin your crew."

Shepard blinked. "I'm not entirely sure that it'll be more exciting out on the Normandy right now." Javik snorted.

"Please Commander, with you, things are never boring. Besides, it's better than being a living museum exhibit."

Shepard looked at him in sympathy. As the last surviving Prothean, Javik was an instant celebrity in the eyes of the Mass Effect galaxy and the multiverse as a whole. There had initially been efforts to keep him out of any sort of conflict after the Reaper war ended, but Javik managed to persuade them otherwise. It was hard for him to do anything else; war was in his bones, it was all he knew. It was no wonder he preferred to be onboard the Normandy. And really, Shepard couldn't deny him that.

"Welcome back onboard." Shepard smiled. "The Normandy's docked in its usual place. Head there as soon as you're able."

"You will be leaving soon?"

"Soon." The Spectre said. "I've just got to make sure our latest guests haven't gotten into any trouble."

* * *

While Shepard was talking to the Council, the two superheroes were out in the Wards, just looking around at all the shops. On the whole, Artemis couldn't help but be surprised by the lack of noticeable crime, unlike Gotham City. Even after living in Palo Alto for several years, that fact still took a lot of getting used to. Of course, that could only last for so long.

"Uh, babe?"

Wally pointed at a gang of shifty looking humans, alongside a pair of aliens, walking down the street towards a tech shop. They were all clad in concealed armor, and each of them was clearly hiding a weapon.

The two of them looked at each other, easily recognizing the behavior of criminals from their own experience. It was clear that this was a gang, planning either a shakedown or a robbery of that store. As much as they didn't want to draw attention to themselves, some instincts were hard to ignore.

Wordlessly, the two followed the gang, watching as the leader, a four-eyed Batarian, pulled out his weapon and took aim at the Salarian clerk's head. The rest of the gang moved throughout the store, one of which activated his omni-tool, shutting the nearby surveillance cameras down.

The rest were menacing the customers, one Turian leering over a Quarian and holding a pistol in his hand. "Give me that, suit rat." The Turian ripped off the Quarian's omni tool and grabbed the merchandise he was holding. Then, the Turian hit him in the face with the butt of his gun, knocking him unconscious.

"We have a few minutes at best before someone calls C-Sec." One human interjected. "So grab what you can and let's go."

"I don't think so." Everyone turned to see two humans standing in the entry to the story, one blond female and one red-headed male.

The group of criminals looked at each other and laughed, while the leader moved towards them. The Salarian shopkeeper ducked behind the counter. He wasn't paid enough to deal with this.

"Listen humans." The Batarian growled, turning his gun in their general direction, while his gang followed suit. "I'm feeling generous today, so why don't you two just leave, and we won't have any problems."

"Oh, I think it's too late for that." The blonde had a slightly predatory smile on her face. "We've already alerted C-Sec. They're on their way now."

"So, I'd recommend leaving if I were you." The redhead continued. "Maybe take some time, examine your life and make yourselves into better people."

The gang was confused by the lack of fear from the two humans. They were unarmed, facing down several hardened criminals, and yet they seemed to consider this as barely worth their time. The Batarian leader however, was furious that they intended to ruin their day.

"Why you little-" He raised his gun, only to blink when he found that his hand was empty. A whistling noise drew his attention to the redhead, who was holding his weapon.

"Looking for this?"

Two others raised their own weapons, only for the exact same event to happen. Wally immediately disarmed the rest of the thugs, who looked in surprise at the pile of guns at his feet. If they had been more intelligent, this would've been the time that the gang would've chosen to leave. Unfortunately, they decided to attack.

The Batarian was the first to move in, rushing at the two humans with a roar. Unfortunately for him, Wally blitzed into the four-eyed alien at super speed, sending him flying into the ceiling before hitting the floor.

Artemis ducked under the blow of the Turian, before grabbing and twisting his arm. The Turian screamed, and was helpless when Artemis kicked him in the chest, knocking him into the nearest thug.

A human then grabbed her from behind, she responded by bashing the back of her head into his, then using her legs to push off a nearby shelf, smashing the would-be thief into the other shelf.

Breaking free of her assailant's grip, Artemis spun around and punched him in the face, leaving a massive bruise. The criminal went down, already out cold. Another three of the criminals moved to surround her, when they were thrown back by a fast moving blur.

Wally smirked at her once he stopped. Before she could properly reply, the two of them were interrupted by a groan as the Batarian got to his feet. Having enough, the gang leader ran out the door, causing the two heroes to look at each other.

"Is that guy for real?" Wally was about to chase after him, but an outstretched arm from Artemis stopped him in his tracks.

"I got him." Pulling her collapsible crossbow from her boot, she ran out the door and took aim at the fleeing alien.

The Batarian didn't get far before a pair of bolas wrapped around his leg, fired from one of the bolts from Artemis' crossbow. The sound of sirens drew their attention to the C-Sec cars coming in.

"Time to go."

Wally scooped up his wife bridal style, before taking off running through the streets of the Wards. When C-Sec arrived, they found the gang on the floor, a Quarian regaining consciousness and a very confused Salarian at the counter.

"Do you think Shepard's going to notice?"

"What, that we took out a gang of muggers?" Artemis shook her head. "The cameras were shut down and the clerk was hiding behind the counter. By the time anyone does notice, we'll already be off the station."

* * *

Several minutes later, they had arrived back at the Normandy, and just in time, considering everyone else was gathering outside as well. Garrus waved them over, just as Shepard arrived with a strange alien in tow.

"So, how was your experience with the Citadel?" Vega asked.

"You know, it was actually kind of boring." Artemis said.

"Who's your friend?" Wally asked, gesturing to the new arrival.

Shepard introduced the two of them to Javik, an old friend of the Commander who wanted to join them on this assignment. When they shook hands, Shepard noticed that Javik tensed up a little, but said nothing initially. But, as soon as they boarded and their two guests were out of sight, Javik turned to Shepard.

"Commander, there was something different about those two." The Prothean claimed. "Something beyond even Republic agents."

It took a second for Shepard to remember that Protheans could learn a fair bit of information by touch, and that during the introductions to the West couple, he had shaken both of their hands.

"What did you see?"

"That's the curious part," Javik explained. "I wasn't able to get a really good reading on either of them. And what I did see made little sense."

"Shepard." EDI's platform walked up to the two of them, causing Javik to twitch. Even after all these years, the Prothean still found it hard to be around AIs. "There is something you may wish to see. I believe it may be relevant to your current topic."

"What is it, EDI?"

"It's about our two guests." Her platform's omni-tool lit up, displaying a video projection over her hand. "I was able to access this security footage from a store down in the Wards."

The image played, showing an empty street with little activity. Suddenly, a Batarian ran into view, running away from something as fast as possible. He didn't get far as a pair of bolas wrapped around his legs and he stumbled to the ground. Seconds later, Shepard saw a strange blur, but dismissed it as a glitch and waited for Wally and Artemis to appear. Then the video stopped.

"I don't follow." Shepard admitted. "This is interesting, but what does this have to do with the Wests?"

"Replaying the footage at 1/100th of normal speed."

The image changed again, and to Shepard's surprise, what he had thought was a glitch in the system turned out to be Wally... running. He was carrying Artemis in his arms (Shepard idly noted that she was holding a crossbow in one hand), but what was most surprising was the fact that everything around them was moving at a snail's pace, yet Wally's movements made it appear like he was running at higher than normal speed.

"EDI, does C-Sec have this footage?"

"Yes, but I have removed the appearance of the Wests from their copy. No other recordings of them exist."

Shepard breathed a small sigh of relief. He really didn't feel like dealing with the Council again if they found out what his two companions were capable of. Hell, he still didn't know what they were capable of.

Maybe it was time to change that.

"EDI, where are the Wests right now?"

"They are currently in their quarters." The AI explained. "Shall I tell them that you would like to talk to them?"

"Please do." Shepard said, leaving the cockpit and Javik behind. "I'm overdue for a discussion with them anyway."


	4. Chapter 4

Wally and Artemis sat in their room, the former taking bites out of the sandwich he had procured from the kitchen while the latter was inspecting her arrows, making sure that the trick versions were in proper working order. In spite of her apparently relaxed state, Artemis was a little on edge.

Just a moment ago, the ship's AI told them that Shepard was coming down to speak with them. While she couldn't be sure as to why, the scenarios running through her mind weren't exactly optimistic.

Of course, her husband was perfectly calm, a contrast to her mind that put her at ease somewhat. It was just one of the many things she loved about Wally, who possessed a normality she never had.

Still, she was somewhat worried about what Shepard would say. He had a certain reputation among Republic soldiers for being rather intimidating, and neither superhero wanted to be subjected to the same dressing downs he had given a lot of other people over the years.

Of course, when one has taken lectures from Batman, anyone else really doesn't come close to being as intimidating.

Her musings were interrupted when Shepard walked through the door.

"Oh, hey Commander." Wally greeted in between bites, while his wife just shook her head in amused exasperation. "What brings you down here?"

"Well, I was hoping to talk to the two of you." Shepard replied, causing Artemis's eyes to narrow.

"About what, exactly?" Shepard didn't rise to the bait and took a seat on the nearby table.

"For starters, I'd like to know about members of my crew, and as long you're here, I consider you a part of it."

Wally and Artemis looked at each other, unsure of whether to be honored or suspicious.

"Um, ok then." The speedster stuttered, "What would you like to know?" Shepard inwardly grinned, glad that progress was being made with these two.

"Well for starters, I'm interested to know about this." He held up his omni-tool, which displayed the holovid of the clip EDI had shown him. "I'd like to know how you move that fast," Shepard gestured to Wally. "From what little I know of the Republic, even they can't give these kinds of abilities to anyone, certainly not without advanced tech."

The West couple looked at each other and sighed. They should've realized that some camera would've caught them, even if it was only Shepard who had found what to look for. It was easy to forget that the more advanced portions of the multiverse had better surveillance tech then they had at home. Wally decided to give a partial answer.

"It's a long story." The redhead rubbed the back of his neck. "It was an accident... sort of."

"And I'm guessing you don't really want to talk about how you got your abilities." Shepard replied. The two of them were silent. "Alright, I'll skip that for now. But let's talk about something else."

"Such as...?"

"Let's start with where you guys are from. I've heard rumors about 'superheroes' and 'supervillains' working with the Republic and Separatists respectively, and judging by your attire," He gestured to the superhero costumes jutting out of their bags "I'm assuming you're in the former category."

The two of them had wondered whether bringing out their costumes was such a good idea. Now though, neither of them were sure they could say that anymore. With a sigh, Wally looked at Artemis, then at Shepard.

"More like former superheroes." The speedster explained. "We're trying to leave that life behind, at least a little bit."

"So what brings you guys out here?" The two of them looked at each other and sighed.

"That's a really long story." Artemis said. Shepard just shrugged.

"We've got time."

"I guess we'll start at the beginning. Well, we're technically retired from superheroing," Wally said "And we were until a lot of things changed." Artemis picked up where he left off.

"A friend of ours asked me to go undercover amongst our enemies and I accepted." She had a regretful tone in her voice as she looked towards her husband. "And because of that, he nearly died."

Her voice grew husky as she relived those long months without him. Wally wrapped his arm around her shoulder, not looking so happy himself. They told him about how he had been stuck in a pocket dimension, frozen in time. They recalled how the Supreme Commander of the Republic had helped the team find him, and afterwards, how he offered the two reunited lovers a part time job working on the Ark.

Artemis had recovered and kept speaking. "We agreed, and now we're here."

"Honestly, it wasn't how we were expecting life to go." Wally said. "But, then again, we couldn't imagine that we'd be allied with a multiversal superpower."

"Sounds we have a few things in common." Shepard whispered under his breath.

"So what do you know of our galaxy?" Shepard asked. The two superheroes looked at each other, then Wally started speaking at a rate that was difficult to make out.

"Wellyou'retechnologyisrunonsomethingknownaselementzeroandyourpoliticiansshouldbefired-" The blonde archer put a hand over her husband's mouth before answering.

"To put it bluntly Shepard, your galaxy seems to be run by idiots." Artemis said. The Spectre couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Well, I can't really argue with that." He chuckled. Then he paused, as he remembered something that had been bothering him.

"Though there's one thing I have to ask: What do you have against Joker, exactly?" The two of them looked at each other, confirming the Commander's suspicions. "You and your friends from earlier acted like you were going to punch something the moment his name was mentioned."

Feeling awkward, Wally rubbed the back of his neck before saying: "We have nothing against your pilot, but the name 'Joker' is... not a popular name where we come from." Artemis snorted at that, as if to say that that was an understatement.

"I'm assuming you're talking about a specific person, but what makes your Joker so bad?" Artemis and Wally looked at each other uncomfortably, before Artemis responded with steel in her voice.

"He's one of the worst monsters to ever exist, and he murdered one of our friends! I know you've faced cruel enemies, but trust me Commander, he would give **you** nightmares."

The two of them got lost in the memory, after hearing about the death of Jason Todd. They hadn't been as close to him as they had with Nightwing, but he was still a good friend. And after what the Joker had done to him...

They shook themselves out of that memory. It was already something that haunted most of the Team, especially those who had known him very well. Even amongst a multiverse filled with horrors like the Flood, the Joker was one person who stood out in all of their memories.

Thankfully, Shepard didn't ask anything else about the Joker, seeing that the name was causing both of them some discomfort. Instead, he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.

"You know, there is one thing I've gotta ask: Why do you need so much food?" He gestured towards Wally, who sheepishly chuckled.

"Well, my power requires quite a large amount of energy." The science whiz explained. "I have to consume about a thousand calories a day."

"And your power is?" Shepard could already guess, but he wanted confirmation.

"Super speed." Artemis answered. "Wally here can easily break the sound barrier just by running."

Shepard blinked at that. That was so far beyond what even the fastest Spartans or Jedi could hope to achieve. "And you don't have any technology that helps you do that?"

"Nope." Wally said. "It's all me."

"It's true." Artemis agreed, giving Wally a sly look. "I can attest to that."

Unbidden, the Commander's thoughts went to a place that he'd rather have avoided, and inwardly shuddered at those ideas. Shaking off that reaction, Shepard got up from his position.

"I suppose we'll talk later." He turned to the door, and then quickly turned back before he had crossed the threshold. "You guys don't mind if I tell the rest of the crew do you? Some of them have figured out that there's something different about you two anyway."

The two of them looked at each other and shrugged. "Just as long as no one off the ship knows who we are." Artemis replied.

Shepard nodded and left, leaving the two of them to their own devices.

* * *

Several hours later.

It was a quiet day on the Normandy, as the ship was only a few hours away from their latest destination. Now, the crew was enjoying their little time off in peace, either eating, browsing the extranet, or doing what ever they wanted to pass the time. Most of them, at the moment, were getting some rest.

Down in the gym, the peace of the rest of the ship failed to permeate here, as Wally and Artemis were having a practice spar in the middle of the makeshift arena. Once again, neither of them could sleep, but it wasn't simply because of nightmares, or being unused to shipboard time: Even after several years of semi-retirement, the two of them were still used to not sleeping much. The hours of being a superhero were very long. Still, it helped to stay in shape, which was why they were here now.

The two superheroes were a blur of motion, KF especially (though he was holding back considerably so she could keep up). When they finally stopped, Wally was standing just a few inches from Artemis. Both of them were breathing heavily, but they still smiled at each other.

"Shall we call it a tie?"

Artemis pretended to think for a moment, before dropping and knocking her husband's legs out from under him. Before he could react to the sudden move, Artemis had straddled his waist, holding down his arms and pinning him to the floor. Once more, Wally was struck at just how beautiful she was.

"Yield?" She teased.

"Yield." He conceded.

She let go of his arms and moved to get up, but Wally grabbed her and pulled her closer until her face was a few inches from hers. She glared at him, but he just smirked in response before pressing his lips to hers.

After a second, Artemis wrapped her hands around his neck, her fingers playing with the back of his hair. Meanwhile, Wally's hands had moved to her waist, pulling her closer and causing them both to moan. Her hands moved toward his shirt, and started pulling at the hem.

The chime from the elevator doors interrupted them, and the two lovers broke apart and scrambled to their feet just as the doors opened and the occupants stepped out. It seemed that James and Ashley were also hoping to use the gym.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Ashley asked, with a small smirk on her face.

"Uh no, we were just leaving." Wally said quickly.

"Don't be." Vega said, putting down his towel. "I've been wanting to see what you two are capable of."

Wally and Artemis looked at each other. "Shepard already told you about us?"

"Yeah, he did." Ashley smirked. "Though from where we're standing, it's kinda hard to believe."

"We've heard the rumors of course." Vega continued. "Unique individuals among the interdimensional superpowers, prancing around in spandex? They're supposed to be dangerous? I'd have thought they'd be better off teaching dance lessons."

Artemis knew what they were doing; the trash talk was just an effort to goad them into a fight. It wasn't personal, but damn it was hard to resist the challenge. Forgetting the towel for a moment, she moved back to the ring.

"You wanna go?"

"If you're sure, chica." Vega replied. "I'll try not to hit you too hard."

"Babe." She turned to Wally, who had a confident smile on his face. "Kick his ass."

"Gladly." She cracked her knuckles. "You might want popcorn for this."

He didn't need to be told twice. Using superspeed, Wally disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a bag of popcorn. This didn't go unnoticed, and soon the rest of the crew showed up to watch the fight.

When they arrived, Wally was already sitting on a crate eating popcorn and cheering his wife on. Meanwhile, Ashley was on the other side of the ring and shouting encouragement to Vega, who needed all the encouragement he could get.

The fight itself was a massacre, as Vega fired off blow after blow, aiming to connect with the archer. But Artemis was clearly experienced, avoiding or redirecting his blows with ease, before making her own blows, which caught him in the chest and he staggered back. In response, he threw a punch at her chest, but she cleanly ducked underneath and swept her leg past his, causing him to hit the ground.

Vega grimaced as he got up from the floor. Artemis was stronger than she looked, and faster too.

"C'mon, James!" Ashley shouted, "You're N7, you're supposed to be tougher than this!"

"She's stronger than she looks." Vega shot back.

With a grunt, Vega aimed yet another punch, only for her to grab his arm, and use his own momentum to flip him onto his back. Inwardly cursing himself for falling into such an obvious feint, he struggled to rise once more.

"Is this supposed to be a challenge?" Artemis taunted. "I've fought two-bit thugs with more fight than you." Honestly, it was true.

In response, James pushed himself off the mat and attacked again, only for Artemis to flip over him and hit him with a back kick, causing him to faceplant into the floor. Several crew members winced, while others laughed and Wally wolf whistled.

"Keep it up!" Cortez cheered Artemis. "It's not everyday you see someone take Mister Vega down a peg."

"Gee, thanks for the support, Estaban."

"How about we make this more interesting?" Artemis offered, pointing her thumb over her shoulder towards Ashley. "Let's make it two on one."

The rest of the crew looked in shock at this. Vega was one thing, but taking on both him and a Spectre at the same time in close combat was just insane. Some exchanged worried glances, while others made bets and more just started recording with their omni-tools.

"You sure about that?" Ash questioned. "I'd rather we didn't send you to the med-bay."

"Oh trust me." Artemis started, a little of her Tigress persona shining through. "I'm not the one who'll be needing a doctor."

Ashley walked into the ring, pulled Vega to his feet, and then held her arms in front of her head in a combat position. Vega quickly mirrored her stance, while Artemis just stood casually and raised her hand, giving a 'bring it' gesture.

Looking at each other, Ash moved first, charging directly at Artemis, and was followed quickly by Vega. Artemis avoided Ashley's punch and ducked under Vega's, before retaliating with a fist to Vega's stomach and a kick to Ashley's chest.

The two of them staggered back from the blow, Ashley now realizing that Vega wasn't joking when he said Artemis was stronger than she looked. That kick had hurt quite a bit, and she was clearly more experienced than either of them. Still, it was now two on one, and the Spectre and N7 knew how each other fought. Hopefully, that would give them an edge.

As the fight went on though, it was clear that it really didn't give them much of an edge at all. Artemis had no trouble fighting two people at once, and in fact it seemed like she barely considered this a challenge. As Ashley hit the floor with a groan, she was suddenly glad that it wasn't two against two. With Wally's demonstrated superspeed, the fight would've become an utter massacre.

Not that it would matter since the fight already was one. The onlookers collectively winced as Artemis kicked James in the stomach so hard it actually sent him flying out of the ring. There was a shocked silence from everyone except the Wests at that event, as even Ashley paused in surprise.

This proved to be a mistake as Artemis capitalized on her distraction, jumping over her and kicking her in the back. Ashley fell flat on her face, to the once more collective wincing of the crowd.

Before Ash could get up and fight again, Artemis put her knee on the Spectre's back and grabbed her arm, pushing it behind her back at a painful angle. With a groan, Ashley used her free hand to hit the mat, signaling to the crowd and Artemis that she was finished.

As soon as she was free, Ashley got up to her feet unsteadily, but with an impressed look on her face. "Goddamn girl. You've gotta teach me some of those moves." She raised her hand, and Artemis cautiously shook it.

"Thanks, you weren't bad yourself."

It was at that moment that the intercom crackled to life, as EDI's voice came over the loudspeakers. "All crew, we will be arriving at the site shortly." Taking that as their cue to leave, the rest of the crew headed back to their posts, as Artemis walked over to Wally, who had just finished his snack.

"Enjoy the show?" Artemis asked with smirk.

"You know I did, babe." Wally grinned, which was matched by his wife.

Before any more banter could be exchanged, EDI's hologram flared to life on a nearby pedestal. "Commander Shepard would like to see you in the briefing room." The chess piece shaped hologram stated, its 'mouth' moving like an old fashioned sound bar. "He wishes to brief you on the first assignment."

"We'll be right there." Wally replied, as the two of them headed towards the elevator.


	5. Chapter 5

Two hours later, the Normandy had arrived in orbit over the planet, and the team began piling into the dropship that had been so graciously provided by the Republic. Wally and Artemis were the last ones in, having decided to make a last minute change of clothing.

Soon, the dropship shot out of the hanger, making its way down toward one of the milder areas of the planet. The Normandy stayed in orbit, staying visible at the request of the world's government.

Cortez guided the dropship to the landing zone, kissing the ground as the ship hovered over the landing pad. With a hiss, the door opened, and Shepard climbed out first, quickly followed by the rest of his team and his two guests. A trio of scientists moved to greet them.

"Greetings, Commander." The lead Salarian said. "It's an honor to have you here."

"I'm sure."

The Salarian turned his attention to Wally and Artemis, who came up to stand beside Shepard.

"And I'm assuming you're the Republic scientists we were told to expect?"

"Yeah, that's us." Wally said.

"Right this way." The Salarian gestured.

The scientists here were obstensibly free agents, but they had decent ties to the Republic, offering their services to the multiversal superpower in exchange for occasional aid from some of their personnel. All the stops on Shepard's trip had a similar premise behind them.

As Wally and Artemis moved to the dig site, the former gushing over some of the technology while the latter smiled at every reaction, Shepard and his squad moved into defensive positions, while Garrus and Vega headed to scan the perimeter.

Overall, it was a rather boring job, but Shepard was almost glad for that. Every mission he went on seemed to result in chaos and explosions, even when the task was supposed to be mundane. He just hoped that this time would be different. Naturally, it was that moment that Garrus called in from his sniper perch.

"Uh Shepard, we've got a problem."

"What is it, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"I'm seeing unmarked freighters heading towards us from low altitude. I really doubt they're friendly."

"EDI, you picking this up?"

"Yes, Shepard." The AI replied. "They appear to have launched from the nearby city. I believe they were waiting for you."

"Copy that." Shepard sighed. Was it too much to ask for just one mission to be routine? "Alright everyone. We're about to have company." He turned to the science team. "The rest of you, get inside and stay there."

The rest of the squad took up defensive positions, hiding behind what cover they could find. Soon, the unmarked freighters could be seen from the naked eye, and shortly thereafter, disgorged Kodiak shuttles.

The shuttles then landed five hundred meters away from the site, allowing Shepard to get a good look at the emblems that adorned each craft. He groaned as he realized who it was, which was only confirmed as the doors opened and the soldiers within exited.

It was Cerberus. Whatever was at this site, it was clear that the human supremacist organization wanted it, and were perfectly willing to kill to get it. Then again, that was par for the course for terrorist group.

As Shepard readied his weapon, he couldn't help but feel exhausted. After everything that had happened since the Reaper war, he had allowed himself to believe that he was the least free of Cerberus. But their mysterious revival in the last few months had put that notion to bed.

"Commander, what's going on?" One of the scientists asked.

"I need you all to get inside, and don't come out till I say so."

"We're on it, Commander." Artemis said, before any of the other scientists could interject. Quickly, she and Wally ushered them into the site, while Shepard took position behind cover.

As the bulk of the scientists made it to the elevator, Wally and Artemis sent them on their way, ignoring the protests as they stayed behind and made their way back to the entrance of the cave.

Mass accelerator rounds were already flying, as Shepard and his crew easily gunned down the Cerberus forces. The white-armored soldiers weren't making it easy, as some managed to get to cover and others had brought out heavy weapons, forcing Shepard's team to keep moving lest they be pinned down.

Javik became surrounded by a green glow, and launched a sphere of energy at one Centurion. The Dark Channel tore through him, leaving the soldier screaming in agony as the energy jumped from one person to the next.

"Cease fire!" A female voice shouted over the din. "I said cease fire!"

The Cerberus fire that was bracketing his cover suddenly came to a halt, as the soldiers in question did as they were asked. Shepard and his team took the time to reload and prepare for another assault when a familiar voice broke out through the silence.

"Hello again, Commander."

Shepard peaked out from his cover to see a very familiar person at the head of the Cerberus forces. Shepard and his crew had known her as Maya Brooks, their friend Miranda Lawson had known her as Hope Lilium, and Liara's connections had also revealed her to have taken the name Rasa.

Whatever her real name was, Shepard ultimately didn't care. After that fateful vacation on the Citadel involving his clone, Shepard had hoped to never see her again. Now, it appeared that Ms. Brooks had arrived for a second attempt on his life. Well, she wouldn't be walking away from this battle.

The Spectre had already spared her life once, he wasn't planning on doing so again, especially after she clearly squandered the opportunity he had given her. Signaling Garrus and Vega to provide cover, he spoke to Maya to distract them.

"I'm surprised, Hope." He called. "I thought you left Cerberus."

"Times have changed, Commander." She replied. "Cerberus has changed, and their goals match my own."

"And so your goals are to what? Kill me? Take my ship? That didn't work out too well for you the first time."

"In due time, Shepard." She replied, directing her soldiers to the dig site. "First, we're taking what we want. Then, your ship will be mine again. The improvements you've gained will benefit humanity thanks to Cerberus."

Meanwhile, Wally and Artemis were hiding at the mouth of the cave, listening to that whole conversation between Shepard and his attacker. Obviously, the Commander had some sort of history with them, and they clearly meant trouble.

With a brief nod to each other, the two of them pulled off most of their work clothes, revealing their costumes hidden underneath. Quickly pulling on their masks, Wally placed his goggles over his eyes while Artemis pulled her bow from her hip and quiver from her bag.

"I'm seeing at least 32 heat signatures." Wally said, activating the infrared lenses in his goggles. "Looks like they're here in force."

"Nothing we can't handle." Artemis said, aiming an arrow at the group. "I'll cover you."

Meanwhile, Brooks and Shepard continued their negotiation, the former using that tactic to allow her men to get to optimal locations.

"Commander, I really don't want to have to kill you." Maya said.

"Really? You could've fooled me back on the Citadel."

"Times have changed." She repeated. "All we want is what is down here. If you let us in, you will be free to go."

"Why don't I believe that?" Garrus sarcastically drawled.

"Maybe because people like her never keep their word?" All heads turned to the voice, and the Cerberus soldiers and some of Shepard's crew were dumbstruck upon seeing who it was.

Kid Flash stood on the hill crest completely unafraid of any attack that would come his way. For the most part, the Cerberus forces were completely gobsmacked by how ridiculous this new arrival looked. Eventually Brooks found her voice.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Kid Flash, at your service." He gave a mocking bow. "Now, how about you all put down your guns and surrender, and maybe we won't have to hurt you." Maya said nothing, instead gesturing for several soldiers to take aim at the yellow costumed individual. Kid Flash sighed.

"Have it your way."

In the blink of an eye, the metahuman had closed the distance, and knocked half a dozen soldiers off of their feet. Brooks blinked in shock, the complete impossibility of that action leaving her too stunned to move. That proved to be her mistake, as an arrow shot out from the cave entrance, expanding into a glowing green net that encased her and knocked her to the ground.

Several more arrows flew into the formation, exploding and sending other Cerberus soldiers flying. Some of the white armored soldiers attempted to rally against the new opponent, but they were then completely blindsided by the speedster in their midst.

Shepard's team helped as well, using the distraction of the superheroes to punish the Cerberus soldiers. Sniper rounds, tech attacks, precision fire and biotics tore the Cerberus soldiers apart, leaving the survivors in disarray.

In response, more shuttles arrived, dropping Phantoms in an effort to turn the tide of war against the defenders. Meanwhile, Artemis had used the distraction to close the distance, and was soon within CQC range of the new arrivals.

"Thanks for the help." Shepard said. "But I thought I told you guys to protect the scientists."

"And we've done that." Artemis replied, firing an arrow at one of the Phantoms. "Then we figured that you guys could use some help."

"Well, that we could use." The Commander replied, just as a pair of Phantoms appeared on Artemis' side of the cover.

As the Phantoms brandished their swords, Artemis couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu; these Cerberus ninjas were almost a striking reflection of the assassins in the League of Shadows.

One of the Phantoms swung her ninjato in a sloppy technique, which Artemis easily avoided, grabbing her opponent's arm and twisting. Of course, having trained with her father and sister, not to mention all the time spent training with the Team, let alone her husband, these 'ninjas on speed' were really undeserving of that title.

Her husband was already proof enough, as a half dozen unconscious Phantoms littered the floor along with several other Cerberus troopers. To the metahuman, they were literally moving in slow motion. The archer finished off the last of her opponents by firing a pair of arrows which pinned the final Phantom to a tree.

"These are supposed to be Cerberus' elite?" Wally said incredulously.

"I know, right? I've fought thugs in Gotham City with more skill than these guys."

With the two heroes taking care of the Phantoms, Shepard and his team were free to take on the rest, burying the assault force in a barrage of bullets and biotics. Eventually, there were no Cerberus forces left standing.

There was the sound of a roaring engine, and the two superheroes turned to see a Centurion on a speeder bike, who immediately gunned the engine as soon as everyone looked towards him.

"We can't let him get away." Garrus took aim, but Wally pushed his sniper rifle down.

"I've got him."

And with that, the speedster gave chase, easily catching up and keeping pace with the vehicle from the Galaxy Far Far Away. The Cerberus soldier turned and did a double-take in surprise at the costumed vigilante easily running alongside him. Wally gave a cheerful wave.

"Hey, maybe you want to pull over?"

The soldier hit the acceleration and pulled out his sidearm, but Kid Flash easily followed, avoided the shots and dive tackled the soldier off the bike. Disarming the soldier before he could even blink, Wally then punched him in the face, knocking the Cerberus henchman out cold.

Seconds later, he was back in front of Shepard, dropping the unconscious form at the Commander's feet. "One unconscious Cerberus thug, as ordered." Wally gave a verbose bow, causing Artemis to roll her eyes.

"Hold on a second." Ashley called out. "Anyone seen Brooks?"

Artemis looked around and noticed that the net she had shot at Brooks was empty and abandoned on the ground. "Looks like she escaped."

"Damnit." Shepard muttered.

Maya Brooks had escaped in all the chaos, but at least she had left empty handed. Still, that meant that Shepard had yet another enemy to look out for in the near future. Of course, that wasn't exactly surprising to him.

What was surprising was how easily Wally and Artemis had made short work of the Cerberus forces. He had heard the stories, of course, but hearing about it and seeing it in action were two very different things.

They had made some of the hardest enemies he had fought during the Reaper war seem almost effortlessly easy to beat. In fact, they hadn't even considered them a challenge. If they considered this easy, Shepard was scared to think what the people in their universe would consider a hard fight.

Now though, they weren't finished. They still had to deal with the science team and what they were working on.

After calming the scientists and assuring them that Cerberus was gone, the two superheroes (who had changed back into their civilian clothes) and Shepard waited as the elevator rose up from underground until the scientists exited the box, coming face to face with a rather upset Spectre.

"So, do you mind explaining what you're studying here?"

"Commander, I'm afraid it's on a need to know basis-"

"Well Cerberus just assaulted this place for whatever you're working on." Shepard growled. "Suffice to say, I need to know."

The Salarian turned to Wally and Artemis, who simply nodded, causing the alien to sigh. "Come with me." He gestured to the elevator.

Shepard and the two heroes stepped inside, followed by the scientist. The elevator lowered itself at a brisk pace as the scientist began his explanation.

"It's not as spectacular as some of the sights you've seen before." The Salarian said. "It's one of the largest known caches of Prothean technology in history."

"That's not exactly a mundane find." The Spectre commented.

"Well compared to the stuff that have been found in other universes, that's exactly what this is."

"Regardless." Shepard started. "This is something the Council must be informed of."

"And they will be." The Salarian replied. "First we need to catalog all of this."

"So, why did you call us in?" Artemis interjected.

"Well, we wanted Republic help to appraise a few items."

"We do have a Prothean up top that can help you with that." Shepard stated.

"That works too." The scientist said. "Still, we could use all the help we can get."

"Lead the way." Wally replied.

"You guys go ahead." The Spectre said. "In the meantime, I'm going to call the Council and let them know what's happened here."

"Very well." The scientist said, as the elevator door opened.

* * *

Hours later, the crew of the Normandy had gathered in their ship, having left the Prothean cache in the hands of Council forces. They had contacted the Alliance before they left, having warned them that Cerberus was in the area.

In the meeting room, Shepard and his team had gathered, discussing everything that had happened. Artemis and Wally were present as well, the former eating from a bag of chips, to his wife's annoyance/amusement.

"So, where are we going next?" Wally asked.

"Rannoch." Shepard replied. "The Quarian and Geth homeworld. You two will be looking at the next site, while we're going to pick up an old friend."

"Wait, Tali will be coming with us?" Garrus asked, clearly surprised.

"She's coming on another goodwill mission." Shepard explained, shooting a sly look at Garrus. "I'm sure that won't be an issue?"

"Not at all." Garrus replied, giving off the turian version of a smirk. The two heroes looked at each other.

"I'm guessing this friend of yours is important?" Artemis said.

"Admiral Tali'Zorah was the one who authorized outside access to this site." EDI replied by way of explanation.

"That she did." The Spectre said. "So, all of you get some rest, we'll be there within 14 hours."

* * *

"You know, when the Supreme Commander told us to bring our uniforms, I was hoping we wouldn't need them." Wally said.

They were back in their room, having finished up with the debriefing/briefing in the war room. Now, they were looking over their costumes, making sure they hadn't been damaged in the fight.

"Well the multiverse is a dangerous place." Artemis replied, checking that the dimensional tech was working, allowing her to restock on arrows. "I'm not too surprised about that fact."

"I guess." Wally sighed. "But when we took this trip, I wasn't exactly expecting to be superheroing again."

Artemis looked up from her work and smiled softly at her husband. "Babe, you remember that conversation we had in Paris?"

"Yeah."

"As much as I would love a completely normal life, that's just not who we are." She said softly. "I can't change how my father trained his 'baby girl,' any more than you can change what your uncle's formula did to you." Wally sighed and was silent for a long time.

"I know." He finally said, then smiled slightly. "Besides, it's not like those Cerberus guys were any good."

"Right?" She chuckled, walking over to him. "I felt more threatened by a talking gorilla than any of those guys."

He sat down on the bed, and Artemis sat on his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I love you, babe." Wally said, just enjoying her presence with him. Artemis smiled and kissed him.

"I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

Less than a day later, the Normandy had arrived in orbit over Rannoch. As Shepard saw the Geth and Quarian fleets in orbit protecting the planet, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of pride. 50 years ago, the two sides would've been mortal enemies.

As Shepard and company rode the dropship down, escorted by a pair of Geth fighters, the Spectre couldn't help but notice that militarization from both species had increased, but not against each other. Apparently, recent activities in the Terminus Systems had them concerned.

Looking over the bay, Shepard suppressed a smirk at Garrus' twiddling thumbs. Normally rather stoic in these types of scenarios, it seemed that the prospect of seeing Tali again had him as nervous as a schoolboy on his first date.

It didn't take long for the dropship to touch ground on Rannoch. The hatch opened, revealing a pair of Quarian soldiers alongside a quartet of Geth troopers standing outside. The lead Quarian nodded as the team exited the ship.

"Commander Shepard." The masked man greeted in a brisque tone. "We're here to take you to the dig site."

They were led into the bunker by the escorts, with Wally and Artemis taking up the rear and simply scanning the area around them. Eventually, they were led into a much larger room with several Quarian scientists gathered around some Geth consoles. The AIs in question were in the systems, working alongside their creators on their work.

And in the center of the room, coordinating with both on a raised dais, was Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy/Rannoch. As her last aide left her alone, she turned around just as the team was walking up.

"Shepard! Garrus!" She ran up to the turian and wrapped him in her embrace.

"Tali, it's so good to see you." Garrus said, gladly returning her embrace. Shepard cleared his throat behind them.

Then Tali noticed the two humans hanging back and giving the Normandy crew some space. One was a male redhead and the other was a female blond. Both of them were looking rather fascinated by everything around them.

"So, are those the two scientists we're expecting?"

"That's them." Shepard nodded, then paused in thought. "Though their fashion sense needs some work."

"No kidding." Garrus agreed. "Apparently their entire planet is filled with people, good and evil, who dress like that."

Tali gave the two of them an odd look, wanting to ask about it (seeing as their clothes looked normal), but they all stopped as the Wests approached. "Admiral Tali'Zorah?" Artemis asked.

"Please, it's just Tali." She held out her hand, which Artemis shook.

"Artemis West." She gestured to the speedster. "This is my husband, Wally."

"Nice to meet you."

"Alright, now that introductions are out of the way, shouldn't you guys get to work?" Garrus interjected, clearly wanting to be alone with Tali.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get right on that."

...

Several hours later, after the two superheroes had been doing science work that had mostly baffled the rest of the team, they had all returned to the Normandy, Tali having joined them after making several calls to the Conclave and Admirality Board.

Now, she was in her favorite spot on the ship; the engine room, with Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels still working there. The two of them had become a couple ever since the Reaper War ended, and had been inseparable ever since.

Now though, they were telling her about their new guests. Apparently, they came from a world where superheroes were fairly common, with powers beyond anything that either the Force or biotics could offer. Having seen many strange things with Shepard, it wasn't hard to believe, but she wouldn't mind seeing examples for herself.

"Hello." Tali nearly jumped out of her suit at the voice behind her, spinning around to find Wally and Artemis standing behind her. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." The redhead said sheepishly.

"Hi." She said nervously, rather surprised that she hadn't heard them approach, especially since her suit's audio sensors were set higher than normal. "How're you doing?" Tali inwardly reprimanded herself for starting to sound like her shy pre-Pilgrimage self.

"We didn't really get a chance to talk much back on Rannoch." Artemis said.

So the three of them discussed a number of things about the Normandy and Tali herself, with Ken and Gabby occasionally interjecting when they overheard something interesting. They talked about Tali's position with the Quarians, as well as some of the science and engineering she often worked on.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that these two had a fairly good grasp of what she was talking about, which was nice. Still, the conversation was about her, and honestly, she was dying to ask about these two instead. Eventually, she couldn't hold it in.

"So, you guys have superpowers?" After blurting that out, she began forming an apology in her head, only for her to get an amused answer.

"He does." Artemis gestured to Wally. "I'm just average."

"Babe, you are anything but average." The redhead said sincerely.

"Can you show me what you can do?" Tali interjected. Wally smirked, and abruptly vanished in a blur.

"What would you like to see, exactly?" Tali jumped and spun around, finding the metahuman standing right behind her, eating from a bag of chips. "Cause there are a few things I can do with my powers."

"That's incredible!"

"It sure is." Everyone turned to see Garrus walking into the room. "And Artemis here beat James and Ashley in a sparring match... at the same time!"

"Well to be fair, they were better than a lot of people we've faced." Artemis said.

"Still, we're used to fighting against a lot of people in hand to hand." Wally interjected.

"I bet you are. Especially given your speed." Garrus said. "Honestly though, I wouldn't be surprised if you can win an arm wrestle with a krogan."

"Actually, I probably can't." Wally admitted. "Though we do know a few people who could."

"I would pay to see that." Kenneth Donnelly said from his station, drawing their attention. Gabriella Daniels silenced him with an elbow to the ribs.

"You know, I think we have a video of Superboy doing that." Artemis smirked. "Didn't we bring it with us?"

"Gimme a second."

In a few seconds, Wally had reappeared with the holoprojector, while the three engineers and turian Spectre were making some calls. Wally turned to his wife with a confused look on his face.

"What's going on?"

"They're gathering the rest of the crew." The archer replied. "Apparently everyone wants to see this."

* * *

Thanks to the Engineers, pretty soon most of the crew had been gathered on the crew deck, Shepard included, to see evidence of the Wests' friends in action. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Artemis nevertheless hit the play button.

"Alright, this is from our buddy Superboy." Wally said. Several people wanted to comment on the name, but held their tongue as they watched instead.

The video displayed a Krogan and Sangheili sitting side by side around a makeshift table. Both of them had one arm out and clasped with the hands of a young dark haired man who looked no older than sixteen. With a start, Shepard recongized him as the one who had loaded Wally's food supply onto the Normandy.

As they all watched, the two massive aliens began pushing down, their muscles clearly straining from the effort. That was surprising enough, but what was more surprising was the fact that the boy wasn't even struggling in the slightest. His next words came out rather amused.

"Oh, have we started?"

What happened next was a complete blur. To the utter surprise of the Normandy crew, in less than a second, the makeshift table had shattered and the Krogan and Sangheili were lying on the floor, clutching their arms.

Meanwhile, Superboy walked away, completely nonplussed to the utter shock of the crowd, both in and outside of the video. The feed ended, only to start again, this time with the boy in the middle of a small arena, surrounded by a Jiralhanae, a clearly biotic krogan, an Yautja, another Sangheili, and a pair of Mgalekgolo.

None of them were armed, as clearly this was a sparring match. The krogan charged in first, his fists glowing with blue energy as he charged Superboy. The blow never connected; instead, the half-Kryptonian sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and hurtled him bodily into the Brute.

None of the Normandy crew could believe their eyes: members of the strongest known sapient species in the multiverse were ganging up on one young boy... who was mopping the floor with all of them.

Shepard suppressed a shudder. If they considered fighting these guys easy, the Spectre didn't want to imagine what the superheroes of this world would consider to be a challenge.

"Do you have anything else to show us?" Shepard asked. "Maybe something from your world?"

The two superheroes looked at each other. There were some news stories about previous superhero activities they had. It probably wouldn't hurt to show one or two to the crew here.

"We might have a couple." Wally said, pausing the hologram and scrolling through the recordings.

...

For the next few days, the Normandy travelled all throughout the multiverse, dropping the two superheroes/scientists where they needed to go. With the exception of an occasional and easily foiled pirate raids, the work was rather calm.

However, just over a week into this journey, they got an anonymous call, telling them that they had new information on the criminal underworld, and transmitting some coordinates and a specific date, no doubt setting up a meeting.

"Could be a trap." Garrus pointed out. Shepard sighed, then looked at the holotable.

"EDI, where are these coordinates?"

"Deep space." The AI replied.

"Well, then we always have the option of bugging out."

"What about our two guests?" Garrus asked.

"We'll have to bring them along." Shepard sighed again. "Still, if it is a trap, I doubt anyone will be expecting those two."


	7. Chapter 7

A day later, after another drop off in another science site, the Normandy was on its way to the meeting area specified in their mysterious message. The coordinates had pointed to nothing but deep space here.

"Shepard, we've received some information from Liara."

"What is it?" The Commander looked at EDI's hologram.

"According to her reports, the contact will meet us on the Errant Venture." She explained. "Apparently, the ship is scheduled to jump to those coordinates."

"Well, now we know where we're going." Shepard sighed. "Any idea why it's out there?"

"It could be for any number of reasons." Garrus walked up to him. "It is one of the most erratic shadowports in the multiverse."

"I think you've been spending too much time on the extranet and holonet." Shepard noted. "Anyway, is the team ready?"

Since they had discovered the message, Shepard wanted his team and the Wests ready for action at a moment's notice. Seeing as they were going aboard the Errant Venture, it wouldn't hurt to bring as many individuals as possible with them. Plus, Shepard had something in mind for them when they did...

"They're ready." Garrus replied.

As soon as the Normandy dropped back into realspace, it was met with a rather unusual sight: an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, bright red in color, known throughout its home galaxy for its unique color and its use as a mobile shadowport.

"Man, what an eyesore." Joker murmured before a comm signal was received by the vessel.

"Unidentified vessel, you are trespassing in restricted airspace. Identify yourself and explain your presence here." A voice broke over the comms, as EDI registered all the Destroyer's weapons targeting them. Years ago, this would've been a major concern, but now, the Normandy's upgrades meant that it was a non-factor. Furthermore, this was hardly restricted airspace considering few knew that the Venture would be here.

"Errant Venture, this is the SSV Normandy." Joker responded. "We're requesting permission to dock."

There was a moment of silence on the comms, as the crew of the Venture were no doubt processing the arrival of the most infamous Spectre vessel in the multiverse, and what it may bode for them. After a moment, a new voice broke over the comms.

"Normandy, you are cleared to dock at airlock 532."

With a brief acknowledgement, Joker did as instructed, bringing the ship right up to the airlock and allowing the away team access to the larger vessel. As soon as the hatch opened, they were greeted by a small entourage, led by the captain himself, Booster Terrick.

"Commander Shepard." The large man greeted. "Fancy seeing you here, though to be honest, I find myself a little wary. From the rumors I've heard about you, shootouts always seem to follow in your wake. Furthermore, I have to wonder who told you we were here."

"We're not here to cause trouble." Shepard raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I should hope not." Booster growled. "The last Spectre who came here caused a shoot out on the Diamond Level. Thankfully, it was on the same day my grand kids were visiting, so he got off rather easily."

"His son-in-law is a Jedi." EDI explained, her voice in his ear. "Both his grandchildren are Jedi Knights as well."

So, it was extremely unlikely that Booster would willingly work for the Shadow Collective. However, that didn't rule out being manipulated by Darth Maul's forces. Still, they didn't exactly want to provoke him.

"Actually, we just have someone to meet with." Shepard replied, turning to Garrus, who gave a brief nod. "Also, we were hoping to get some practice in your War Games arena."

The War Games initiative had originally been used by the UNSC as advanced training for Spartan soldiers. Eventually, it became commonly used by the UNSC rank and file as well, providing realistic combat simulations for the UNSC and Sangheili.

When the multiverse was opened up to their world, several other weapon companies were quick to pick up on this, Armax Arsenal among them. After a lot of deals and bartering, similar technology was now sold throughout the IDA, having gained popularity among the militaries of the multiverse, and even some civilian sectors got watered down versions available. One of which was aboard the Errant Venture.

"We can set you up with one." Booster nodded to his associates, one of whom nodded and handed a datapad to him. "These don't come cheap, you know."

"I understand." The Commander handed the device to Garrus after reading it for a moment. "And I'll pay extra if you and your crew keep our little visit quiet."

"Just don't cause too much trouble and we'll be good." With that, Booster and his crew dispersed, leaving Shepard and his team alone.

"Is everybody good to go?"

"We're good, Shepard." Garrus said. "I'll take everyone to the training deck for a bit."

"What, do you really think we need a babysitter?" Ashley said.

"Given our track record, probably." Tali interjected.

"Oh don't worry, we'll keep these guys in line." Wally joked, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulder. "You can count on us."

"Well, I'm now afraid for my life." James muttered, gaining a few chuckles from all corners.

"Just... please don't cause any shootouts." The Spectre replied, as his team headed for the training room while Joker locked the Normandy down until everyone got back.

With his team gone, Shepard headed off alone, following the message that had just been sent to the Normandy. Making sure that he had weapon concealed on him, he made his way through the bowels of the Star Destroyer.

* * *

In the arena, the crew of the Normandy was having a little competition. This wasn't terribly out of the normal when they had a break, but with the new (albeit temporary) additions of the Wests, well, it promised to be an interesting day. First up, it was a marksmanship duel between Garrus and Artemis.

The two were on a platform, floating one story off the ground. The rest of the crew were behind them, able to get a clear view of the shooter's backs and their targets. The targets themselves were 3 dummies that constantly moved in a forward/backward motion, as well as the occasional move to the side.

Garrus went first, and easily scored 3 headshots with 3 rounds in 20 seconds. Garrus turned to the blonde archer, and gestured to the field with a flourish of his hand. For her part, Artemis just smirked, pulled out 3 arrows and readied them. Before anyone could question what she was doing, she turned around, and backflipped off the platform.

What happened next stunned everyone in the room (except Wally).

3 targets, all spaced at different ranges, each had an arrow in the dead center of their forehead. What was even more amazing was the fact that Artemis had fired all three at once, while upside down, in midair and punctuated the display by landing on her feet! She gave a very verbose bow to the shocked audience, which caused Wally to chuckle.

The turian's mandibles went slack, and the Normandy crew had their jaws on the floor. The entire team stared at the field in shock, trying to comprehend just how such a feat was possible. Eventually, Tali was the first to find her voice.

"Keelah."

"Impressive." Javik tried to sound dismissive, but there was no mistaking the admiration in his voice.

"Damn, 3 at once." James whistled.

"Beginner's luck." Garrus feebly tried to argue but he was cut off.

"It's worse than your sniping duel with Spartan-058." Ashley retorted, to which the turian hung his head in humility.

Garrus had always fancied himself as the best marksman in the galaxy. But after witnessing the sniping skills of Linda-058, it was safe to say that he had absolutely no claim to that title. It had been a rather humbling experience, to say the least. And now he had lost to someone less than half her age and with none of the technological or genetic advantages afforded to the Spartan or the Spectre.

"Still not as good as Green Arrow." Artemis muttered. "I guess I'm still out of practice."

The crew could hardly believe what they had just heard. A young woman who was only in her twenties had been practicing archery for most of her life and still, that shot should have been impossible and yet there was someone else who was even better at it? Just how dangerous was their world?

"Well, are we going to go to the next round or not?" Wally interrupted their train of thought with his question.

"Uh, right." Vega took over from Garrus, checking his omni-tool. "Next match is in a couple minutes."

* * *

Shepard arrived at the meeting point in question, which strangely, was an old service hallway. Ready to draw his pistol at a moment's notice, he looked around, waiting for someone to appear. Checking his omni-tool, he saw that the meeting time was only a minute away, so he decided to wait.

One minute later, someone did arrive, though not in the way he expected. A flicker of light appeared behind him and he spun around, only to find a hidden holoprojector had turned itself on, revealing a familiar individual.

"Miranda."

"Shepard, it's good to see you." The ex-Cerberus operative said.

"Likewise, though I'll admit, I could do without the secrecy."

"I wish there was another option. We can't talk here." She said. "Come meet me on Illium. I'm sending the coordinates."

"What's with all the secrecy?" Shepard asked. "Why couldn't we meet here?"

"I couldn't risk being discovered." Miranda replied. "Considering everything that's happened, I couldn't risk my enemies finding me, or Oriana."

"Are you in danger?" Shepard was fully alert now. "Do you need extraction." She smiled softly at his reaction.

"Thank you for the concern, but I assure you, I'm alright." She looked at something off-screen. "That said, I can't stay on this line much longer. Come meet me on Illium, I've set the time and place to your Omni-tool." The orange device popped up, confirming that Miranda had done so.

"I'll see you there."

Miranda's hologram disappeared, leaving Shepard with more questions than answers. He knew she could take care of herself, but she hadn't gone for this level of secrecy since the Reaper war. He mentally shook his head; he'd find out what was going on later. For now, it was time to see how his crew was doing.

* * *

After his little meeting, Shepard headed to the training area to see how things were going. He really shouldn't have been surprised that the Wests had been doing so well, but he couldn't help it.

He and the rest of the crew watched as Artemis demolished her way through an urban arena filled with enemies, mainly Cerberus soldier types. It seemed almost effortless, the way she was taking them down.

Her final opponent was an Atlas, which took only slightly longer for her to deal with. In fact, it was almost like she had dealt with mechs like that before, which considering what little they'd seen of their world, wasn't that surprising.

Later, the course was reset for Wally, complete with more holographic enemies. The speedster pulled out a pair of goggles from his pocket and donned them before taking off through the streets. When the dust settled, the Normandy crew's jaws had hit the floor again.

Kid Flash had eliminated 20 enemies in 5.7 seconds. When he had finished, mentioned that he was still slower than both Flash and Impulse, who apparently could have done the same in less than 1 second!

Next, the two of them fought together in a recreated urban environment. Though Shepard had already seen them in action before, it was only now that he realized how much the two complimented each other. Wally's speed served as a distraction, allowing Artemis to pick off any opponents focused on the speedster.

When the opposition zeroed in on her, Wally took the initiative and used their confusion to blindside them, while simultaneously relocating his wife to another location. Add to the familiarity with each other, and it was clear that the two lovers were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

After the training session (which EDI had ensured hadn't been spied on), the two lovers met up with the rest of the crew as Shepard approached, who were quick to lay on the compliments.

"Keelah, that was amazing."

"Very impressive."

"Seriously, Speedy."

"Speedy?" They repeated. James was confused when Wally groaned and slammed his palm into his face, while Artemis started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Artemis eventually got herself under control. "It's an inside joke, you wouldn't get it."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, but shrugged it off as Shepard approached.

"Sorry to interrupt, but it's about time for us to leave." The Commander said, to the clear disappointment of his team, which he picked up on. "Everyone has two hours before we leave, so make it quick." He said with a smirk, to the excitement of most of them. As the rest of the crew began to pack up, Garrus approached Shepard.

"So where are we going next?"

"Illium." The Spectre replied. "We have a meeting with an old friend."


	8. Chapter 8

Back on the Normandy, Shepard and his crew recovered from the harrowing escape they had just experienced. They had not emerged from Darth Maul's clutches unscathed: almost everyone in the ground team had suffered various injuries, from cuts and bruises, to burn marks from blasterfire, all of which merited a trip to the med bay.

Wally and Artemis were among them, and while they seemed rather calm, considering everything that happened, it was a different story mentally, and as they looked at each other, they knew the other felt the same.

Beneath the false bravado, the two of them were clearly shaken at the close call they experienced and both knew the other was thinking the same thing. It was another reminder as to why they had retired from the superhero life, and yet it still called to them.

The Wests were shaken out of their musings by the orders of Dr. Chakwas, who had finished directing the others and now turned to them.

"And hopefully you two will actually listen to my instructions unlike those two."

The two superheroes had suffered the most; being in the thick of the action had done a number on both Wally and Artemis, both of whom were being overseen by Dr. Chakwas. It was ironic; they had just faced down a Sith Lord and fought far worse in their home universe without blinking, but they were currently being cowed by a middle-aged doctor.

"Look, I'll be fine." Wally protested. "My body heals fast. She deserves the attention more than I do." He gestured to his wife, who smirked at him.

"Nice try babe, but if I have to stay here, then so do you." Wally groaned.

"Neither of you are going anywhere until I say so." Chakwas declared, forestalling any further conversation. "And that goes for the rest of you." She said to the other occupants of the med bay.

There was a lot of subdued expressions and annoyed groaning, the latter of which were silenced by a glare from the good doctor, who set to work on patching everyone back up after their fight with the Shadow Collective.

...

Eventually the team recovered and the Normandy made it's way back to Installation 00 to drop off the two superheroes, who had stayed far longer than they should've. There was only one other item on the list: What to do with Asajj Ventress.

The comatose Dathomiri witch was currently restrained in the medbay, wearing a strange collar given by Wally and Artemis, who promised that it would nullify her telekinetic and mind trick powers. Occasionally, Chakwas would check in on her, but the doctor still had no idea why she was still out cold.

Then abruptly she did wake up, struggling against the restraints as Shepard came in to check up on her. Her annoyance turned to concentration, then to panic when she found her powers weren't working.

"What have you done to me?" She gasped, glaring at them.

"Easy." Shepard muttered, both his hands out with palms outstretched. "No one wants to hurt you."

"You could've fooled me." Ventress tugged at the restraints, proving her point. "And how did you block my powers? I can still sense you all in the Force, but I can't move anything."

"You can thank the Wests for that." Was all Shepard said.

"Is all this really necessary?" Asajj asked, knowing that threatening him wasn't going to work. "After escaping from Omega?"

"A necessary precaution." EDI's voice came from the ceiling. "Your previous history raises cause for concern." Asajj sagged in her bed.

"Yes, we know who you are, Ventress." Shepard stated. "Your history dates pretty far back, all the way into the Clone Wars. I think you're the oldest person on this ship."

"What do you plan to do with me?"

"Nothing really. We just wanted to make sure you didn't destroy the medbay when you woke up."

To prove the point, he hit a control on his omni-tool and the restraints fell away. Ventress cautiously got up into a sitting position, only then feeling the collar around her neck, which had to have been suppressing her telekinesis and mind tricks.

"I don't suppose you'll take this collar off me?" She asked as Chakwas moved to her side, scanning the Nightsister with her omni-tool.

"That depends." Shepard crossed his arms. "What do you intend to do if it was removed?"

"You want assurances that I won't try to take over your ship?"

"That would help." He replied.

"I swear I won't try to take over your vessel." Asajj rolled her eyes, looking pointedly at the holo projector pad. "Not that I could do so anyway."

"Can't blame me for checking." Shepard said. "Now then, we'll figure out something for you."

...

It took some time, but eventually they were able to find a space for Asajj on the Engineering deck of the Normandy. After they trusted her enough to remove the inhibitor collar, it was time for the Wests to be returned home.

After saying goodbye to the Wests, who were quickly picked up by a Republic vessel, Shepard ordered Joker to set a course for the Citadel, where from what they could tell, a whole lot of things were going wrong. But that would keep for later.

After making sure they were on course, he took the elevator down to the Engineering deck and headed for the lower level, where Jack had once made her home while they were taking on the Collectors. Much of the ship had been altered due to the Republic upgrades, but that section hadn't been touched. Of course, at a brief glance, the current occupant didn't look that much different from the previous one.

"Shepard." Ventress murmured, sitting up from her makeshift bed. "I was wondering when you would show up."

"You were expecting me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She pointed out. "I'm an unknown and potentially dangerous threat on your ship."

"You wouldn't be the first." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "And I'm guessing this is more freedom than you were expecting."

"You could say that." She stood up. "You are rather trusting in that regard, giving me free reign through your ship. Some might say too trusting."

"Make no mistake," A pair of energy barriers abruptly appeared, blocking the stairwells. "if you become a threat to me or my crew, you will be dealt with accordingly."

"You're not as dumb or gullible as others seem to believe." The Dark Jedi nodded in approval. "I assume you have something you want from me?"

"Not really." Shepard walked away from the wall while the barriers deactivated. "I was just wondering where you would like to go." Ventress sat back down and looked at him thoughtfully.

"You really have no plans of turning me in." The Commander shrugged.

"I try not to dwell on the past." He said. "What happened back during the Clone Wars happened. But make no mistake, if you are a threat to my crew, you will be dealt with appropriately."

"I'm sure your Prothean friend would love to throw me out an airlock. He's already threatened me with that." Ventress snarked. "Truth be told, I wouldn't actually mind staying with your crew, at least for the time being. The New Jedi may not be the Jedi of my time, but I don't have much love for them either way."

"You're asking to join me?"

"If you'll permit it." She replied. "If not, then just drop me off at the nearest inhabited planet. I'll make my own way."

"Well you did save us back there." Shepard admitted. "If you're willing tell us what you know about Maul and his gang, I think we can work something out."

"I don't know all that much any more, to be honest." Ventress admitted. "But that's all you ask from me?"

"More or less. Call me naive, but I'd rather help you than harm you." He shrugged. "Besides, you're hardly the most unusual individual I've worked with. Do we have a deal?" Ventress was silent for a moment.

"Yes." He moved to shake the Nightsister's hand. Ventress eyed it for a second, then stood up and reciprocated.

"Welcome to the Normandy."


End file.
